Through the Stable Door
by Elanor Joy
Summary: When she saw Eustace thrown through the Stable door Jill thought she would faint or be sick or both. A LB piece from Jill's POV as she realizes how much she cares for Eustace.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **I, very randomly, have fallen in love with the idea of a Jill/Eustace romance and none of the fics about them suited my fancy (though there ARE a lot of cute ones out there). I'm not exactly sure how long this phase is going to last, but I'm enjoying it right now and I hope you do too. Just warning you, it's shamelessly fluffy and rated T because part of it DOES take place during a battle. Enjoy!

* * *

When Jill saw Eustace (she'd long given up calling him Scrubb) thrown into the Stable she was quite sure she was going faint or be sick or both. In any case, her heart quite nearly broke in two when she realized her best friend in two worlds was gone, and probably gone forever at that. She thought she heard Poggin's voice warning about arrows from the Dwarfs, but it was so faint to her ears that she didn't heed it. While everyone else was ducking she just stood there, staring at the Stable door, praying to Aslan to protect the soul of her dearest friend and that the Great Lion would give her strength to bear his absence. When the eleven Dwarves were thrown in soon after, Jill desperately hoped that Eustace would escape when the door was open. He did not.

A nudge from Jewel brought her back to her senses and she followed him to the little stream of water flowing from the white rock. She found that she had stopped crying and now a headache tugged at the nerves behind her eyes, the sort of headache one gets after one has cried just a little when one really needs to cry a lot. But she couldn't, so she shoved the horrible thoughts of Eustace far from her mind and drank more of the water. After that she began to feel the slightest bit better.

And then Poggin started talking about how he figured they'd all pass through the Stable door before morning and ruined it all. It also didn't help that King Tirian had compared the Stable door to a mouth and her horrible thoughts of Eustace's fate resurfaced as well as fears for herself. "Oh can't we do _anything _to stop it?" she asked, feeling sick all over again. Jewel's reply, sweet and hopeful as it was, really did nothing to make her feel any better. To top it off, Rishda Tarkaan out and out told them that she and the King and Farsight would be offered to Tash by way of the Stable door and she grew more miserable than ever. She thought of all the horrid things that lay beyond the Stable door and wondered again what had happened to Eustace once he'd passed through it.

Then the Calormenes began their attack and one Main Thought took over all those little, miserable ones and that Main Thought was this: If she was going to die, she had better help her friends and her Narnia as much as she could first. So she notched an arrow and took aim at the closest Calormene and barely even grimaced as he fell. She just notched another arrow and took aim again.

It went on like that for goodness only knows how long. She felt her mind grow blank as she shot arrow after arrow at the growing throng of Calormenes coming at her little party on the white rock. She didn't notice how the said party was growing smaller and that it was interspersing into the crowd of Calormene soldiers or how she was soon the only one standing there or that a Calormene had snuck quite stealthily up behind her.

One moment Jill had been lining up a shot aimed at a Calormene who was trying to run a spear through Jewel, the next she was shrieking and kicking as armored arms wrapped around her stomach and lifted her from the ground. She had enough sense to hang onto her arrow, but her bow clattered to the ground. She hoped briefly that Jewel would be alright and the used the arrow to stab at the exposed wrist of the Calormene who held her. Blood squirted from the wound and she felt some of it land on her cheek. The Calormene yelled loudly, quite nearly deafening her, before he dropped her in his surprise.

This was exactly what she was hoping would happen. As soon as she hit the ground she took off running, but she did not get very far. The Calormene recovered when he saw her running away and in two long strides had caught up with her. He tackled her to the ground and she was quite sure he broke a few of her ribs when he landed on top of her, it hurt so badly. While he was trying to pin her arms behind her back a brave Dog leapt to her aide and Jill cried out loudly when she heard it yelp in pain and then saw it landed not more than a few feet from her, never to move again.

After that she began to fight the Calormene with even more ferocity, her side protesting with every move, but she didn't quite feel it as acutely as she had guessed she would. Eustace had told her it might go like that. Adrena-thingamagumy, or some such thing. She wasn't actually sure and didn't have time to try to remember. She was too busy kicking and squirming and hitting and biting, but all of it was to no avail. He had a firm hold on her and he was not going to let go. Blood from the wound on his wrist was all over her by the time he thought he had her subdued enough to ease up on his grip. She fought off the urge to be sick when she tasted his blood in her mouth and jerked out of his hold. She turned and smacked his already wounded arm as hard as she could so he wouldn't follow her before she ran again.

Unfortunately, she ran right into another Calormene. She hit his armored breastplate with a dull clang and fell right onto her bottom. She caught sight of his wicked eyes beneath his helmet and was surprised when she didn't feel the fear she thought she would have.

"_Dearest child, it's time to come Home._" She looked around in surprise, sure she'd heard the words with her ears, but the Calormene hasn't seemed to. She saw him raise his hand and as she prepared herself for the impact, felt peace infiltrate her being. Before the Calormene struck her, she smiled. _Alright, Aslan. Here I come. _Thenthe Calormene's wrist guard connected with the side of her head and the world went black.

OoOoOo

"Jill . . ." a voice she thought she knew was calling her. "Jill . . ." She felt she must really open her eyes, but at the same time, she didn't want to. She snuggled back down and let sleep begin to take her back "Jill Pole! In the name of Aslan, wake up _now_!" The call was so powerful that she opened her eyes and was instantly blinded by bright sunlight.

She blinked several times and she realized that the sunlight was partially blocked by someone's head. A handsome face looked down at her, worry knitted around the edges of a rather lovely pair of eyes. He wore a crown on his head and was dressed in fine clothes and chain mail that glittered so fiercely in the light that it made her squint. Behind him were other figures, all wearing brightly colored clothing, but she didn't focus on them just yet. There was something terribly familiar about that face, but she knew that she had never met any king besides King Tirian and this was certainly not King Tirian.

"Jill, what _happened_? And don't look at me like that." At the sound of his voice she realized who this king was and she didn't quite understand it.

"_Eustace_? Is that you?"

"No, I'm the jolly Prime Minister. Of course, it's me, you little goose."

The comment about the Prime Minster assured Jill it was actually him and she was flooded with relief the likes of which she seriously doubted she'd ever felt before. She forgot any and all of her previous reservations or that she'd even had any reservations before at all and she threw herself at him with such force that it bowled him over.

"Eustace! It's you! Eustace, you're alive! Praise Aslan! I was so very afraid . . . you've no idea. Oh, thank goodness . . ." She was crying now and, really, she didn't care very much. She was just so happy that he was alright.

Eustace looked rather shocked and very discombobulated and didn't have very much to say at all (well, other than "I _say_, Jill! It's quite alright." ), but his arms wrapped around her almost instantly and she wondered if it were the most lovely feeling in the world. After she wondered that, Jill realized then that she was lying atop him, her arms around his neck and his face closer to hers than it had ever been before. She was about to apologize when laughter from behind them made them both stiffen.

"I told you so." Came a voice that Jill would have called snaky if she hadn't recognized as belonging to Edmund Pevensie.

She pulled away from Eustace instantly and they managed to untangle themselves and stand up and away from each other far more quickly that she would have thought possible. She then took the time to look around her and she found that she was in a most beautiful of places and it seemed to be a summer morning in that Place and that she was not inside anything, much less a tiny stable. She also saw that the other figures that had been standing behind Eustace were the Pevensies (that is, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy), Professor Kirke, and Aunt Polly. Except none of them looked anything like themselves. And then she thought that they looked more like themselves than she had even seen them look before and the Professor and Aunt Polly were so very _much_ younger than they had been the last time she'd seen them. And they were dressed in such wonderful clothes that she suddenly felt very shabby, as bloodied and dirty and tearstained as she was. And then she realized she was dressed as they were and she gave a rather loud cry of surprise.

"Where did _this_ gown come from? Where's my drill dress? And what in the world happened to all the blood? Lucy, did your magic Cordial fix my ribs?"

Five of the Six looked rather shocked and surprised at this sudden outburst and Eustace looked more than a little alarmed at the mention of blood and her ribs and Peter said: "Perhaps you ought to finished telling us the rest of your story, Eustace, and you can fill us in on what happened afterwards, Jill."

So Eustace told their story, with many interruptions from Jill (who added to what he said or made corrections, as Eustace has a slight flair for the dramatics) and from the others (who mostly just had questions), and then Jill told what happened after Eustace had been thrown into the Stable ending with Aslan's voice and the Calormene striking her (she didn't see how the thin line Eustace's lips were pressed into or how his eyes flashed with anger when she mentioned this) and how she had thought she had been thrown into the Stable.

"But this certainly isn't the Stable. What _is_ this place anyhow?"

"The inside of the Stable," Eustace (who'd quite recovered from his anger) said.

"But it can't be."

"You should see something then." And Eustace took her by the shoulders and turned her about so she faced the other direction and she saw the strangest thing she'd ever seen in her life. And if you've read a book called _The Last Battle_ (the events in this story actually take place in the middle of this book) then you'll already know that what she was a rough hewn door standing the middle of the charming field they were in and that it looked like it had always been there and may just always be there. Jill knew at once that it was the Stable door and she didn't know quite what to make out of it. She walked round it several times and stared and then perceptively put her eye to a hole in the wood. She saw dark figures darting around and every now and then the flash of firelight gleaming on chain mail or glinting off a swinging sword. And then she sat back on her heels and stared at the door in amazement.

"Oh my," was all she had to say on the subject.

"You see," Eustace began, coming up behind her and offering her his hand to help her up, "the Stable is actually bigger on the inside that is seems to be on the outside."

"Yes, I do see," she said, brushing the grass from her lovely gown. "And how did you get here?"

"Well, we were-" a commotion from the door behind them cut Peter off. Two men came flying through thee door. Jill and Eustace recognized both immediately and Eustace quietly pointed out who was who. He'd no more got the words out of his mouth when a horrible creature (some of you will know this creature to be Tash, the Calormene god) appeared and Aunt Polly and Lucy cried out in dismay and even the Professor and the two Pevensie boys grimaced at his appearance. Eustace shuddered and quickly shoved Jill behind him so that he was between her and the monster and she clutched his arm with all her might and felt her face grow white at the sight of it. And then Peter spoke to Tash and suddenly the monster was gone.

She was a little embarrassed, but Eustace didn't seem to mind (or, at least, he didn't say anything) so she didn't say anything either. Instead, she stepped out from behind him and stood at his side and joined the others in watching King Tirian as he looked about him in utter amazement. The shock on his face when his eyes lighted on the seven of them was so great that she couldn't help but laugh out loud. He stared at her and then realization began to dawn on his face and she knew he'd recognized her and she laughed again before she realized she simply must help the poor, dazzled King.

"Sire," she said curtsying in a way she never knew she could, "let me make known to you Peter, the High King over all Kings in Narnia . . ."

OoOoOo

Later, much later, after they'd come to Aslan's country, (if you don't know how this happened or the events that came directly before it, there is a book that I've already told you about which explains those events in great detail) Jill found herself walking about in amazement. She had been introduced to people she'd only heard about in stories the Pevensies and Eustace had told her. She had also seen Rilian and Puddlegum and other friends from her first adventure in Narnia, friends whom Tirian had assured her had been dead for hundreds of years. Her mind was so full of wonder that she found herself on a beach, but she wasn't exactly sure how she had gotten there. She wasn't tired, though she'd been walking for quite some time, and she decided to plop down in the sand and contemplate the marvel of it all. She didn't get much of a chance to do so though, because Eustace appeared and her thoughts suddenly became consumed (though she'd never admit it out loud) with him.

He didn't say anything, but sat next to her on the sand. One look at his face and she could tell he was feeling the exact same things she was and she was terribly grateful that she wasn't the only one. He met her eyes and smiled reassuringly. She smiled back and scooted closer to him. He didn't act surprised when their shoulders bumped, but wrapped his arm around her like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. Jill felt her insides turn into butterflies and her breath suddenly came a little short. He gently pulled her head to his shoulder and then put his other arm round her till she was wrapped snuggly in the circle of his arms. She found she didn't mind one little bit and relaxed against him.

They sat like that, watching the waves, for a minute or perhaps for a day, one couldn't quite say which, until a horn sounded. Eustace stirred and she lifted her head.

"That'll be King Frank's horn," Eustace whispered while Jill remembered that King Frank and his wife Queen Helen were the first king and queen of Narnia. "We must go up."

"La." She pulled away from him and stood, shaking the sand out of her skirts. When she was done Eustace was still sitting on the ground. "Eustace?"

"I know, I'm coming," he said, but his words were not as cross as they look in paper. He stood slowly and took her hands in his. "Jill, I'm glad we went through this together."

"Me too, Eustace." And then she did the most impulsive thing she'd ever done in her life: She kissed him full on the mouth. It was a soft, sweet kiss that she would have only had courage enough to give him in a country such as the one she was in. And when she pulled away he looked a little stunned and more than a little pleased. She didn't dwell on it. Instead she grabbed his hand and they began to run to the thrones of King Frank and Queen Helen, both anxious for the adventures they knew awaited them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Well, I hadn't actually planned on writing any more of this, but I was obsessed with the idea of doing it from Eustace's POV and it wouldn't let me sleep, so I had to. Plus, I was also daydreaming about it in my anatomy class, and that's not good. So, here it is, the unofficial second part of "Through the Stable Door."

**Unofficial Chapter 2**

If you had asked Eustace if he thought he would ever end up fighting for his life alongside a King, a Unicorn and a Dwarf, he probably would have laughed at you. Especially if you'd asked him prior to his first trip to the Narnian world. Back then the only thing that interested him about anything remotely athletic was how running effected the cardiovascular system. Even after his trip to Narnia with his cousins, he didn't really play sports all that often, though he did enjoy the times he played a good deal more. It was only after his second trip to Narnia that he became what some would call "athletic."_ He had_ asked his cousin Edmund to teach him the finer points of fencing, though he did it mostly because Jill simply wouldn't put the issue to bed. Now, as he ran his sword through a rather large Calormene soldier, he marveled at the change and reminded himself to thank Jill for her persistent insistence later. That is, if he managed to make it through alive.

He took advantage of the fact that one of his friend's arrows had momentarily distracted the Calormene in front of him and took the opportunity to finish the man off. Calormene blood oozed forth from the wound Eustace had inflicted, but Eustace found that he wasn't even sickened by it anymore. And then he made the mistake of looking the dying man in the face. There was shocked written over the pain in his face and bewilderment showed in and around his eyes. Eustace stared in fascination, for he'd never taken the time to watch a man die. He would later regret it for more than one reason.

While he was staring so enthralled at the dying Calormene, the King Tirian yelled the retreat, but Eustace barely heard it. By the time he'd realized that his Narnian comrades were fleeing to the white rock, he was only one left on the battlefield. When he finally tore his eyes from the (dead) man's face, he was completely alone and surrounded by angry Calormenes. To his credit, he managed to seriously damage the first few who tried to take him, fighting like a wild beast trapped in a corner. But eventually he was overpowered and a particularly huge Calormen swiftly disarmed him, pinned his arms to his sides and began to carry him most unceremoniously towards the Stable.

Once Eustace got over the initial indignation of being swept up like a child and realized where he was being taken he began to fight like he'd never fought before in his life's short history. He kicked and squirmed and flailed and nearly broke his skull open, he hit it against the Calormene's chain mail so hard. It didn't help him one little bit. One moment he was thrashing despite the fact that his head hurt and blood was dripping in his eyes, the next he was flying through the open Stable door and into bright light.

Eustace gave a yelp of surprise as he flew through the door, for his eyes were unaccustomed to any light besides that of the bonfire and this light hurt them. It was very similar to when you have just woken up and your mother flings open the curtains and morning light assails your sleepy eyes. When he hit the ground, if was with a loud grunt, for the air was knocked out of him, and he had to lay still for a bit before he could move properly again. While he lay there, he took in his surroundings and began to wonder if the landing was the real reason he'd lost his breath.

He found that he was lying on soft, springy grass that was very alive for being the flooring inside a stable. He also discovered that the light that was making his eyes sting so was actually sunlight, coming from a pale yellow ball of fire hanging in a cloudless blue sky. This was quite a shock to him, as he thought he was inside the Stable. And then he was suddenly surrounded by several people in clothes that made his eyes hurt just as much as the sunlight, their clothing was so brilliant and he became terribly confused.

"Eustace! What in blazes are you doing here, old chap?" Eustace knew the voice was Edmund's, but Edmund was supposed to be back in England and he'd never seen Edmund with a crown on his head before. Eustace didn't have time to wonder about it though, for he was being hauled to his feet by two other kings that he knew and didn't know all at the same time. He recognized his cousin Peter, but had never, ever, seen him look so very much like a king. And the other king! If Eustace hadn't known better, he would have sworn he had gone back in time and the man was Professor Kirke before he became a professor.

"Professor Kirke?"

Laughter, the soft and musical laughter of women, prevented the king from replying. Eustace spun around and saw two queens, both as lovely as the sunrise on a mid-summer's morn, each with her arm about the other's waist and both laughing at him good-naturedly.

"Oh, Eustace . . ." giggled the younger of the two.

"Lucy!" Eustace interrupted, amazed at the transformation his cousin had made. She ignored his interjection, or perhaps she simply hadn't heard it at all.

" . . . the look on your face! Of course it's the Professor."

"It still might. What in blazes are you doing here?"

"We're not entirely sure," said the other queen.

"You're not Aunt Polly . . .You can't be," Eustace said, incredulous.

"No, I daresay I'm more of just plain 'Polly' than 'aunt' now. But it really is me, dear boy. Just as it really is Digory over there."

It was too much for Eustace. "What? But it just can't be! It's not possible. I mean, you both were so _old_!"

"Not as old as all that, lad." The Professor was trying very hard to keep his face stern, but his voice was so merry that it didn't help his cause much. Eustace flushed red at the realization that he'd said such a thing and he mumbled out an excuse. The rest (including Polly and Digory) just laughed at him and Polly took pity on him and told him it was quite alright so long as he didn't say anything of the sort again. When the laughter finally died down he had to ask: "So, what exactly are you doing here?"

"We're not exactly sure," Edmund said, matter-of-factly. "But in any case we're enjoying the time well enough. That door and the things that come through it are certainly entertaining."

"Door?" Eustace asked, bewildered.

"The door," Peter said, pointing behind Eustace. He spun around and saw a rough-hewn door standing in the middle of the clearing. It looked so out of place that he nearly laughed aloud. Then he realized that it was the Stable door and his chuckle died in his throat.

"It can't be! By Jove, it's impossible!" he cried, running to the door. "What is this thing doing here?"

"We're not exactly sure about that either." Edmund said. "Take a look through that crack right there."

Eustace put his eye next to the crack Edmund had indicated and jumped back in shock at what he saw. "It can't be! It simply defies all the laws of-of-of everything! If one could patent this, do you know how-"

"No, I don't know, I and don't think I want to," said Peter. "In any case, it's been a source of puzzlement to us."

"Do you know where that door leads?" he cried, running back to the others. "It leads to Stable Hill! That's where it leads! They're fighting the battle of the ages over there!"

"Who's fighting?" Peter asked.

"Why, everyone! King Tirian and Poggin and- and-and Jill! By gum! Jill's still over there fighting! We've got to go help her-er, them! It's terribly unmatched and-"

He was cut off by the door swinging open and a body flying through it. It didn't take Eustace more than a moment to realize that it was Jill flying through the air. She landed with a thump on the soft grass. Blood and sweat flecked her face and her drill dress had blood on it too.

But before he even reached her, she changed before his very eyes. The blood was gone and the too-big drill dress was replaced with a gown that he knew would set her eyes off marvelously if she opened them again. He thought she looked like a flower, nestled so brightly in the grass, but the thought was quickly overshadowed by the fact that she wasn't moving.

"Jill!" He had reached her knelt at her side. "Jill!" He was vaguely aware of the others behind him, making a ruckus over their fallen friend, but their words were background noise compared to the blood that rushed in his ears. "Jill Pole! In the name of Aslan, wake up now!"

She gasped and her eyes flew open. His body sagged when he realized she was alright. He also got a bit of satisfaction in seeing that the gown she wore did indeed make her eyes rival his cousin Susan's (who was the most beautiful, if not the most ridiculous, person he knew). She blinked and squinted, a strange frown marring her delicate features when her eyes lighted on his face.

"Jill, what happened? And don't look at me like that!"

"Eustace?" There was a wonderment in her voice that he didn't understand. "Is that you?"

He was flabbergasted. "No, I'm the jolly Prime Minister. Of course it's me, you little goose."

A smile lit her face and before he understood exactly what was happening, he was on his back and she was top of him. "Eustace! It's you! Eustace, you're alive! Praise Aslan!" She had her arms wrapped around his neck and her face was so very close to his, "I was so very afraid . . . you've no idea. Oh thank goodness . . ." She was whispering, almost reverently, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. He wanted very much to wipe them away, but, of course, didn't.

"I say Jill! It's quite alright." He said, and instead of wiping away her tears gave her a little squeeze.

"I told you so." Eustace jumped, as he had quite forgotten that the other Friends of Narnia were there too. He heard the soft chuckles of the others and swore to himself that he would box Edmund for that someday. Jill had pulled away from him rather quickly and was now standing, and staring at the world about her in amazement.

He stood too, a watched her wonder, enjoying it more than she was. He saw her eyes light on the others and smiled when her eyes widened in pleasant surprise. And then she looked at herself and jumped again.

"Where did _this_ gown come from? Where's my drill dress? And what in the world happened to all the blood? Lucy, did your magic Cordial fix my ribs?"

Eustace thought of the blood that had covered her and glowered at whatever Calormene had dared to try and hurt her. And then he thought of what could have happened to her ribs and was almost sick, for he'd had very little experience with rib injuries, but the ones he had had were very unpleasant. He hated to think that Jill would have experienced anything that would have caused her such pain.

Peter was talking " . . .finish telling us the rest of your story Eustace, and you can fill us in on what happened afterwards, Jill."

"Well," Eustace said, trying to put what could have happened to Jill out of his mind, "it all started with a rather large bump-"

"I would say more of a bang," Jill inserted.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the correction, but didn't fight her for it. "Alright, a bang then and we were in the forest in the dead of night . . ."

OoOoOo

Eustace had tried to feel afraid, he really did. He found himself imagining the very worst of things, of finals week and the battlefield and horrid green snakes and felt no fear. He tried even harder. He allowed himself to dwell on his greatest source fear: something horrid happening to Jill.

Her laughter from behind him broke into his thoughts. He turned his head to spot Jill, who was laughing at the Dogs' antics. He had always thought she was lovely, but in this world she was magnanimous. She simply glowed. The way she carried herself had changed, although he doubted that she realized it. He knew that no matter what happened to her here, she would be alright. The idea brought him more comfort than he had thought it ever would.

"By Jove, neither one can!" he cried, delighted. And with that he heeded the Eagle's cry and went further up and further in.

OoOoOoO

"I say, Puddleglum, have you seen Jill?"

"I did. She ran off that way," the Marshwiggle pointed towards the forest. "Probably will get lost. Just like a woman. I had hoped she would not behave like a woman, grown up as she is now."

"Oh, she's not that grown up, Puddleglum."

"She is. She is. Would soon be an old shrew if we were back in the old country. Shouldn't doubt that she may still become one here."

"Oh Puddleglum, you haven't changed a bit!" Eustace cried, but it was all in good fun. "I'm off to find her."

"And you'll probably get lost too, I shouldn't wonder. Hope you will be able to find your way back when King Frank blows his horn."

"La, I do hope so," Eustace said, laughing. "I'll be back soon enough, and I'll have found Jill too."

"I truly hope so. Would be a shame to lose you so soon after you got here."

Eustace didn't reply, but shook his head as he walked away. He made up his mind that he would have to find another Marshwiggle, one that didn't have as cheery a disposition as Puddleglum did, and have a conversation with it. He was sure Jill would laugh hard enough to bring tears to her eyes if she were to join him in the endeavor.

As he searched for Jill he allowed the wonder of it all to sink in. He went over all of the recent events in his mind and was reduced to awe. By the time he discovered her sitting prettily on a beach, staring at the waves, he was nearly overwhelmed.

He sat next to her and her eyes betrayed that she was feeling the exact same things he was. He smiled at her, hoping it was more reassuring than her actually felt. When she returned his smile and moved to sit closer to him, as she had several times since this adventure had begun, his arm wrapped around her without checking with his brain first.

Her breathing quickened and she began to pull away. He felt so very empty without her that he panicked and pulled her head to his shoulder, To make sure she wouldn't try to leave again, he put his other arm around her and held her firmly. She sat stiffly for a moment before she relaxed and let him hold her.

As they sat there he was infiltrated with a wonderful feeling that warmed him from his head to his toes. She fit into his arms so perfectly he was sure it was actually mathematically impossible. He lost track of time, more focused on the incredible feeling than on the waves crashing upon the sand.

A few hours or perhaps it was really a day or two later, a horn sounded clear and proud off in the distance, rousing him. Jill lifted her head and gave him a questioning glance.

"That'll be King Frank's horn," he explained and then added a bit reluctantly, "we must go up."

"La," she murmured as she detangled herself from his arms. She stood and shook out her skirts. He watched her from the ground, marveling at how the real Narnian air had changed her. She was not any more lovely than she had been in England, or even in the Shadowlands. Her loveliness was simply amplified by her surroundings now. He thought it was one of the best sights he'd ever beheld.

He found himself thanking Aslan for the blessing of the young woman before him. She was brave and good and wonderful. He was amazed that she had ever given him a second glance. Amazed and so grateful.

"Eustace?" She was giving him the strangest look. He realized that he was still on the sand.

"I know, I'm coming." He gave himself a bit of a shake and stood, smiling at her. She turned to go up the way they had come, but he grabbed her hands. She gave him a look he'd never seen on her face before, a mixture of excitement and pensiveness and uncertainty and confusion all at once. He thought it might be the most alluring look she'd ever given him. His breath caught in his chest and for a moment he forgot what he was going to say to her. The look vanished from her face all to quickly and was replaced by pure inquisitiveness and he quickly remembered. "Jill, I'm glad we went through this together."

He felt his insides melt (a feeling he wasn't sure he quite liked) at the brilliant smile she bestowed upon him. "Me too, Eustace." And then she did something that caught him by surprise, for it was the sort of thing he never, ever would have imagined Jill would do, especially to him (though, admittedly, he had always secretly hoped she would): She kissed him. It shook him to the very core and when she pulled away a moment later, eyes half lidded and a smile growing on her lips, he wanted to pull her back and kiss her again.

But she had already grabbed his hand and began to draw him up the path. He decided as he ran behind her that it was alright. He was sure, quite sure, that in the days to come there would be even more adventures that would lead to even better kisses in future. He was content with that.


End file.
